Home style cigarette making device



June 19, 1951 J. H. BLANCHARD 2,557,407

' HOME STYLE CIGARETTE MAKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Joseph H. Blanchard June 19, 1951 J. H. BLANCHARD 2,557,407

HOME STYLE CIGARETTE MAKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 29 38 33 37 f 32 3/ I! 7 I 0 35 38 u, H: j H, 1' 28 Fig.5

Inventor Joseph H. Blanchard Patented June 19, 1951 vireo STATES PATENT QFFICE HOME STYLE CIGARETTE MAKING DEVICE lloseph H. Blanchard, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Application November 10, 1947, Serial N 0. 785,088

The present invention relates to a device of a portable nature which is primarily, but not necessarily, adapted for home use when forming and rolling and completely making home-made cigarettes, and has more particular reference to a device which is characterized by a base which, has mounted thereon all essential components to enable the user to roll his own cigarettes.

More specifically, the invention appertains to a simple portable base providing a convenient foundation for the required complements thought to be necessary and suflicient in enabling the user to systematically follow a step-by-step procedure whereby he may make todays cigarettes for tomorrows use.

Novelty in the instant case is thought to reside in an improved cigarette making and rolling machine, said machine being especially designed and skillfully constructed in order that the tobacco pocketing and rolling apron is mounted to effectively and properly roll the cigarettes.

structurally, my cigarette makin machine is characterized by a base unit, a liftable and lowerable carrier hinged on said base unit, a forming platen fixed on the carrier, a flexible apron associated with the carrier and platen, and a roller carrying bail hingedly mounted on said base unit and coacting with the apron to provide the desired up and oversweep motion to promote not only effective sealing of the cigarette during the rolling step but to discharge same with precisionlike certainty at the dispensing end of the apron.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, with a portion broken away, of the cigarette making machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the machine seen in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical or cross sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view based on Figure 2 and showing the machine in action, that is the cigarette in the process of rolling to take its final form.

Figure 5 is a view based on Figure 4 and showing the final step, that is the step where the cigarette has been completely rolled and is being cast 4 Claims. (01. 131-49) out of the machine at the discharge end of the latter, in readiness for smoking use.

My improved cigarette forming, rolling and making machine is denoted, as a unitary appliance, by the numeral 9. The base part of said machine is denoted by the numeral 26. The latter is channel shaped and comprises a horizontal plate 2'! which is adapted to rest on suitable foundation such as a table or the like (not shown). Part 26 also embodies upstanding parallel walls or flanges 28. Noting now Figure 2, I call attention to a frame structure which may be conveniently referred to as a carrier, the same denoted generally by the numeral 29. The main part of this frame structure is a box-like frame member 30 whose opposed parallel side walls are provided with oppositely located serpentine slots providing desired cam surfaces 3| and including downwardly directed inner and outer leg portions 32 and 33 respectively. Side arms are attached to the member 30, said side arms being denoted by the numerals 34 and being hingedly attached between the flanges 28, as indicated at 35. The same hinge pin 35 serves to anchor one end portion 36 of the flexible apron 31. The opposite end of the apron is anchored on a relatively fixed cross-pin 31a, that is a pin which is a part of and moves with the wing-like extensions 34a of the tiltable carrier. The latmr also includes as a part thereof a rigid metal platen 38, this being U- shaped and secured rigidly at opposite ends to said box-like member 39 at I. More specifically the limbs 38a and 38b are respectively attached to the forward and rearward frame-ends and the bight portion, which slopes gradually from front to rear, arches over the frame. The left or forward end is convexed in form, as at 39, and overhangs and serves to provide a suitable nose or a knoll-like cam which is eifective during the initial bunching and binding tep.

I next call attention to the handle or bail unit 40. The side arms ii of the latter are pivotally mounted on the aforementioned base flanges 28 as at 42. The bight portion 43 provides an appropriate hand grip and the intermediate portion of this is appropriately shaped as at the points 44 to facilitate the use of the thumb. These fiat surfaced portions 44 provide thumb landings to enable the desired lifting and end thrust pressures to be conveniently applied to the up and over swinging bail. The bail carries an idling roller 45 and this coacts with the apron in the manner illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 5 in particular. The bail also carries a cross pin 46 which is situated and rides back and forth in the serpentine orcam slots 3|. The pin and slots provide an operating connection between the carrier and hail so that the carrier is lifted up and lowered in properly progressive steps, this in a manner to prevent the apron from jammin and choking the cigarette, and to thus insure smooth and reliable rolling, sealing and dumping results. It is to be noted, in addition to the above, that the sheet metal platen is solid and appropriately curved and shaped to coordinate its facilities with the raisable and lowerable carrier and the bail carried idling roller. All of these parts have been carefully chosen and coordinated to obtain a sequence of parts performance which insures successful results.

The mode of operation is as follows: First,

the desired quantity of cigarette tobacco T is.

pinched and picked up from the already opened market package (not shown) and is placed in the suspended loop or pocket formed in the apron as shown in Figure l. The next step is to raise to the stage shown in Figure 2, which is about twenty-five degrees, by means of pressure with the thumb and index finger applied to handle of the bail 44. At this stage of operation a pause is made, and the operator picks up a cigarette paper and inserts one end of the latter into the opening formed between roller 45, on the bail and surface of apron 31 to the extent shown in Figure 2. The paper I! is inserted in this opening against the ready rolled tobacco behind roller 45 and with gummed edge up. Then, the operator pushes forward slightly on handle 44 until cigarette paper I! is caught and partly rolled around the tobacco charge in the loop in the apron behind roller 45. Now, the cigarette paper ll is held taut with gummed edge up and extended out in front of roller 45 upon the apron which overlaps the platen 38. Then, the operator pushes forward on the handle 44 until the cigarette is firmly rolled and sealed and is discharged from the rolling device.

Figure 5 shows the end of the final sweep forward with the bail and the cigarette I'I being discharged from the rolling device. From this point the operator reverses the bail by means of handle 44 using index finger and thumb pulling bail backto starting point.

I oallattention particularly to the important bunching and packing step or stage (Figure 2) in-the operation of my rolling device, that a clearer conception may be had of its construction for practical use in the art of making ones own cigarettes.

First, it'should be observed that the pocket or loop containing the initial charge of cigarettetobacco is somewhat contracted and compressed to the normal size of a commercial cigarette and upper surface of platen 38. Second, it should be observed that all of the slack in the apron 3! will have been taken up, and the underside ofthe apron rests in part tightly against top portion ofriser or nose 39 and thus firmly compresses the tobacco in said pocket. j,

, Third, at this stage, it may be observed that crosspin 48 in cam slots 3! rests freely in the bend or knee of the extremity of leg portion 32, and will take effect in cam slots portion 3l'to raise and lower the platen and tiltable carrier in the proper manner in relation to the roller 45 giving ample space between roller 45 and platen 38 when sweeping the bail forward.

l Iow,; at this stage and with the cigarette paper I! laid in the ready-to-wrap position illustrated the operator may push bail slightly forward until the cigarette paper I! is partly wrapped around the tobacco in the apron pocket. At this latter stage the gummed edge of cigarette paper is suitably wetted.

The herein disclosed invention is equipped with a standard size apron to roll commercial size cigarettes although smaller sized cigarettes can be made, using the same size apron and without making any changes. Then, too, when an apron has been in constant and excessive use and has stretched in length to the point that over size and loose cigarettes are formed, such is not the case with my machine, as it is so constructed to overcome this disadvantage. In fact,

- my apron will continue to give good service long after the bare threads have begun to show up from excessive use. To manipulate the operation of this machine for more efficient service in connection with the desired results as above mentioned, the operator simply uses thumb pressure upon top portion (not shown) of apron at central part of riser or nose 39, pressing the apron forward in and against convexed portion formed on the overhang or nose of Figures 4 and 5. This thumb pressure is applied as described and is held firmly while the final push on bail is made and this mode of handling, of course, takes up the slack in the apron, and results will be amazing;

Changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of details and parts may be resorted to in actual practice, so long as they do not depart from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims, as is well understood.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A cigarette making machine of the class described comprising a base plate having upstanding side flanges, a carrier frame structure hingedly mounted at one end between said flanges, a relatively rigid platen on said carrier frame structure, an apron anchored at one end on said carrier frame structure, at its opposite end on said flanges, and having its intermediate portion situated over for contact with the outer surface of said platen, a bail pivotally mounted on said flanges, and a roller mounted for idling between the limbs of the bail and in roilable contact with the underside of said apron, said carrier frame structure having opposed mating serpentine slots, and said bail limbs having a cross pin passing through said slots, whereby to lift and lower the gal-Tier frame structure in coordination with the 2. A cigarette making machine for home use comprising a base plate adapted to be placed on a table or similar support, a carrier frame structure hingedly mounted at one end on said base plate, a relatively rigid platen mounted on and carried by said carrier frame structure, an apron anchored at one end on said carrier frame structure and at its opposite end on said base and having its intermediate portion situated over for contact with the outer surface of said platen, a manually actuatable bail pivotally mounted on said base, a roller mounted for idling between the limbs of the bail and in rollable contact with the underside of said apron, said carrier frame structure having slot means, and a cross pin mounted in the limbs of said bail and passing operably through said slot means.

3. A home-style cigarette making machine of the class shown and described comprising a base, a carrier hingedly mounted on said base and embodying a frame movable toward and from said base, an inverted U-sh-aped platen including a bight portion and spaced parallel limb portions, said limb portions embracing and being rigidly secured to opposite ends of said frame and said bight portion arching over said frame and sloping gradually from the front of the frame toward the back of the latter, the stated front being relatively high and being provided with an outstanding overhang constituting a tobacco bunching and binding cam, an apron operatively connected at opposite ends with the base and frame respectively, a bail pivotally mounted on said base and straddling said frame and platen, and a freely idling roller mounted between the limb portions of said ball and having rolling and wiping contact with the underside of said apron, said bail, roller and apron serving when the ball is in a predetermined position to form the apron into a loop constituting a pocket which, when charged with tobacco, may be brought forcibly into tautening contact with said overhang for bunching, binding and shaping the charge of tobacco.

4. A home-style cigarette making machine of the class shown and described comprising a base plate having upstanding side flanges, a carrier embodying a frame having portions hingedly mounted on said flanges at one end of said base plate, an inverted U-shaped platen including a bight portion and complemental limb portions, said limb portions embracing and being secured respectively to forward and rear ends of said frame and said bight portion arching over said frame, slanting gradually from the front to the back of the frame, the front end portion of said platen being formed into an outstanding overhang, said overhang constituting a tobacco bunching and binding cam, a flexible apron anchored at one end on said base plate, having its intermediate portion situated over for operable contact with the outer surface of said platen and having its opposite end anchored on said frame, a bail pivotally mounted on said flanges, a roller mounted for idling between the limb portions of the bail and in rollable contact with the underside of said apron, said frame being provided with oppositely disposed slots, the respective slots having downwardly directed end portions, and a cross pin passing through and operable in the respective slots and connected at its opposite ends with the adjacent limb portions of the bail.

JOSEPH H. BLANCHARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 337,731 Bayler Mar. 9, 1886 419,983 Abraham Jan. 21, 1890 421,721 Josselin Feb. 18, 1890 444,768 Richards Jan. 13, 1891 588,912 Jerstrum Aug. 24, 1897 636,696 Reuse Nov. '7, 1899 1,296,724 Winget Mar. 11, 1919 2,000,423 Starrett May 7, 1935 2,038,866 Whittles Apr. 28, 1936 2,273,787 Phillips Feb. 17, 1942 

